THE PEACE KEEPERS

by Tom Tryst

  He is soon standing beside her, hugging her. “You OK, Tab?” he asks, both concern and relief in his voice. She can barely make out his features in the dark.

  She nods, then assures him she is fine, yet she is reluctant to let him pull away.

  “Give me your scope,” he orders. “I want to get a good look out there.”

  “What happened?” she asks as he scans the horizon, counting the white forms. “I mean back there,” indicating back in the compound.

  “About a dozen got through. They tried to hide, but the drone spotted them. The men picked them off.”

  “Who are . . . were they?” she quietly asked, the reality of the morning sinking in. So many people dying.

  She couldn’t see his shrug. “Who else? Hungry, desperate people. They probably didn’t think we were this well prepared. Probably thought they could get in and out with the food.” He continued his survey.

  “Any of our men hurt?”

  “Three hit. Their flack jackets probably saved their lives. I don’t know yet how bad they are..” He put the scope back into its container. “Come on. You’re relieved. I got a men below to take over. I know Vic is anxious for you to get back.”

  Back at security, the civilian lookouts have submitted their reports and are free to go home. The Compound is secure. Yet they linger, sharing their experiences of the attack. It is a while before Victor arrives to take her home, just as the eastern skyline is beginning to lighten with the promise of dawn and a new day. But it will be a while before the people get back to feeling even close to normal.

  Sherry, as Mayor of Glen Haven, is keeping her word to her husband, Daniel, in keeping a low profile in the politics of The Compound, but it is getting increasingly difficult to keep the City Council in check. Still all women, they want more say in the governing of the township, feeling the City Charter gives them that authority. Despite her frequent reminders that The Compound if a government facility, and that the ‘government’ was now the military, they want more freedom to guide the future of their little village.

  Daniel has been sympathetic with her situation, but he is in a tenuous situation himself, no longer being in command of The Compound. Col. Victor Wells is in fact the Commander of The Compound as far as the Pentagon is concerned; Washington no longer has any control other than to do the wishes of the Pentagon. As a close friend of the Davies, Victor has given Daniel total control of the research group and Sherry a lot of freedom in running the day-to-day matters of a small incorporated village. As an officer in the Army, he represents those now running the United States, and must abide by their dictates.

  For the very infrequent visitor, always on official business, riding into Glen Haven is like stepping back in time. The road leading in from the front - and only - gate is a simple two-lane blacktop without shoulders. Vegetation within ten feet of the road, on both sides, is kept neatly mowed. The visitor would have a pleasant mile-and-a-half ride through heavy oak forest, with occasional glimpses of Medina Lake through the trees, then be greeted with a sign: ‘Welcome to Glen Haven, Population 186.’ This does not count the military personnel assigned to the Army camp. Then they get the fist view of the village, absent of any utility poles or lines and without any advertising signs. The planter box trees have been replanted and are in full leaf. The flower boxes now have real flowering plants. The old style street lamps date late 1800's, when they were gas lights.

  The soft, earth-tone colors blend well with each other. The only modern touches are the curbs and sidewalks. To identify the use of each building in the ‘downtown’ area circling the largest building, a redwood placard over the entrance is engraved with the name or service provided. The only large lettering painted on a building is ‘Operations’ emblazoned on the three-story headquarters building. One would not be surprised to see a cowboy riding a horse down the street; in reality, not a single horse is on the grounds, for all livestock have to serve a purpose.

  Most likely, they wouldn’t see a single vehicle moving, with only an occasional golf cart or jeep parked around the Operations building. But The Compound has no visitors. Anyone having business inside would be met at the gate and have a military escort during the time they were inside. Their business completed, they would be escorted back to their vehicle parked outside the gate. Most having business inside The Compound would be federal government employees and military personnel. On occasion, a new civilian assigned to Operations or the farming community would be escorted in to be briefed on his or her new job.

  Sherry is very proud of their transformation of the village, as are the people. Most have long since considered Glen Haven their home. Most would like to stay here for the rest of their lives, dreading the thought that someday they might have to leave for an unknown life in the outside turmoil. Tentative plans are in the works in the event the military moved out; should that happen, the City Counsel will annex the entire compound into the village of Glen Haven, and install total city rule with full time government departments supplying the needs of the people. The details are still fuzzy, depending when and if the nation will go back to a monetary system of trade.

  If the military pulls out, that would also mean the governmental support would also go, for they know their special status keeps them provided for almost every need and want. They would no longer enjoy a privileged status. At best, a food distribution center would be established in the Compound, which meant they would have to turn over what they grew and produced on the farms. They might be better off remaining a closed society, if that would even be allowed by the Federal Government.

  Thanks to the aliens, they are independent for electrical energy, heating and cooling. They have ample water, both from the lake and wells. Sanitation is provided by old-fashioned septic tanks and drain fields. All of the vehicles now run on nitrogen drawn from the air. With careful planning, they could probably provide the food the people needed.

  The biggest problem would be medications and specialized health care. They are dependent on the outside in this area. They are also dependent on the outside for raw materials. The people could manage without the trivial items they had become used to, adopting a pre-industrialization lifestyle. To try to do so in the field of medicine would mean a lot of people might die unnecessarily.

  When the program was initiated, Daniel was instrumental on developing The Compound as it is today. He was in charge from the beginning. Now the military has taken over, leaving him with managing the research program, which had changed course several times. Now his wife has more authority than him, her being the Mayor. Both Sherry and Victor privately sympathize with him; both keep him in the loop, whether it meant military business or village business. And the people still look upon him as their leader, with the possible exception of the farmers, who are becoming a very independent bunch. They still decline to dine in the dining hall and seldom participate with village social activities. Their sole responsibility is to produce needed food, with occasional additional help from the military or the villagers, in times of heavy harvesting.

  There is little doubt in Sherry’s mind that the people still look up to Daniel. She encourages him to run for the office of mayor at the next elections; she would not oppose him. She sees no conflict with him managing the research team and running the village, but he doesn’t want the additional responsibility. He is content with influencing her in decision making regarding the village - or so he says.

  Victor did his bit by including his friend in the decision making of the government when it involved the citizens of Glen Haven or Daniel’s team members. If he couldn’t give Daniel support in a matter, he took time to explain why he could not. Most of the time, the military made the decisions and the people living inside the Compound had to live with them. Even then, Victor often modified the enforcement of Pentagon orders to still be in compliance, but in a way more palatable with the people.

  With the passage of time, people are becoming less concerned with the return of the aliens, as well as bein
g satisfied that they were protected from any form of an invasion from outsiders.

  The worries that Daniel, Victor and Sherry have concerning the future are mostly kept from the public. The people have comfortable lodging. They have a well-balanced diet. They have excellent healthcare. They have duties that leave them free time for rest and recreation. They even have opportunities to obtain trivial items for sports and hobbies. They have everything they need to live happy, healthy lives, as well as having some things they didn’t really need, but simply want.

  Life is good in Glen Haven.

  Chapter Twenty-one

  Almost every town that has a food distribution center also has one or more clandestine businesses: the barter of miscellaneous items for food. With many small store fronts vacant, those people who for one reason or another do not have food ration cards spend their days (more likely nights) scavenging for objects that cannot be obtained from the government. There is an underground business consisting of scavengers who search through abandoned buildings looking for items from the past that are no longer manufactured. They concentrated on objects or items they think people might want, often illegal items. And they often deal in stolen property. These items they trade for the food and medicine they need.

  Law enforcement does their best to find them and shut them down, but just doesn’t have the manpower to be effective. Such trade activity is given a low priority unless illegal drugs, alcoholic beverages or weapons are involved. The fear is that a parent might use food intended for their children to trade for getting high.

  Another illegal trade, one of the oldest professions in the world, is prostitution. Women without food ration cards are trading sexual favors for food.

  The prominent characteristic of such ‘traders’ is laziness. In the old world, they would be (and most likely were) the transients - the beggars and homeless that have spurned regular employment. Today, they can no longer stand in public places for handouts, for the police would quickly arrest them. Nor can they ‘crash’ at night in any of the many vacant buildings, for police dogs would sniff them out. The rule, ‘if you don’t work, you don’t eat,’ is strictly enforced.

  The one commendable effort by the federal and local governments is in providing for those who cannot provide for themselves: the young orphans; the elderly; the mentally ill; the physically disabled. The various government agencies generally find employment for the rest of society; work in exchange for shelter and sustenance. Those with minor physical or mental restrictions are assigned to duties they can perform. Though such duties are often menial, they received the same level of shelter and sustenance as the more able-bodied; their disabilities often give them more benefits than the average person.

  In the less populated areas, less stringently patrolled, the attitudes of both the enforcers and the citizens are more relaxed. Here is where the rebels, those who refused to conform to the new government regulations, have migrated. They aren’t just the people too lazy to work, for most are struggling to live off the land, having a hard-scrabble life. They tend to be drifters. As long as they aren’t causing problems with the rest of society, law enforcement leaves them alone. Many are squatters, moving into abandoned houses, mostly in rural areas. Often they choose vacation cabins, trading poached wildlife and fish for other food items.

  And often they will raid farm fields in the dead of night, careful to not cause any destruction and taking only what they need for survival. Most farmers don’t protest if the gleaning is minimal, falling back on the Bible’s early laws mandating that they set aside ten-percent of their crop for the orphans and widows. And local law enforcement agencies seldom take action unless the ‘gleaning’ is extensive or involves taking livestock. By then, in most cases, the offenders have moved on.

  Repeatedly, the federal government announces amnesty for people outside the system. With no questions asked, they will assign jobs and housing along with duty assignments. They are repeatedly advised that they don’t have to be hoboes. The aliens would have quickly solved the problem by ‘transporting’ the rebel clans; government has to deal with them with compassion. For now, that is letting them do their thing. They have too many more important problems to deal with.

  Another popular activity with the citizens is the ‘swap meet,’ private citizens who meet to exchange items they no longer want - nor need - for items they want. The only regulation by the government is that each person setting up a ‘booth’ had to be a food card carrier with an assigned job. Swap meet sites are designated by the government, as are the days and hours of operation. They are routinely patrolled. The food card, officially the Federal Nutrition Identification, has become a national identification card; every adult must have one to obtain his or her lawful issue of food, medicine and other life-supporting items. The card also lists their dependants.

  Not having a card rules out the ‘drop outs’ of society, as well as those turning to crime. Each ‘vender’ has to obtain a permit to set up a booth (most often just a marked off section at the swap meet); they could get only one such permit per month, eliminating the frequent trader who might be dealing in stolen goods. The same rules apply to ‘garage sales’ at assigned residences; only with a permit and only once a month. Often items offered are homemade - arts and crafts. The rules prohibit the trade of any items provided by the government through the distribution centers.

  It is an effective means of distributing the trivial, nonessential items that people might want, but not really need; items the government didn’t issue.

  Every citizen living in The Compound had such a card. While it was not used to obtain raw food, it was scanned as the people passed through the dining hall food line. It was also scanned when receiving medical assistance or personal hygiene items. It was a means of assuring that no person received more than allotted them.

  Most carried the card in their right shirt pocket, readily available when needed. It became natural to quickly scan the card when needed, without giving its use second thought. Some women chose to keep the card in a belt pouch with their other personal items, feeling that the stiff card disrupted the natural curve of the breast. As long as they had their card on them at all times, they could keep it wherever it wouldn’t be lost.

  In most other regards, the strict rationing and requirements pertaining to citizens outside the fence did not apply to them.

  President Baker is sitting at his desk in the Oval Office, leaning back comfortably in his high-backed chair, eyes closed. But he isn’t sleeping. He had been going over his agenda for the upcoming staff meeting with the Executive Board, but he can’t seem to concentrate. The one burning question he constantly struggles with is how to regain control from the Military. They have the weapons. They have control. The only way they will return power to the official Government of the United States is when they feel the government is able to rule. They have laid out a course for the return to civilian rule.

  The primary requirement is a return of monetary trade. This means the reestablishment of the dollar as legal tender. It also will require some form of wage and price control. As to how this might be accomplished, they offer no advice.

  They also insist that every citizen must have a right to certain services: free education and job training for all; free health care; free public transportation; free child care for working parents; free senior citizen care; free recreation; and free libraries.

  They demand that there be a single federal tax based on the income of individuals and the profits of business entities. Such tax would support the many government programs and the infrastructure. It would be based net income; the higher the earnings, the greater the tax percentage.

  They also insisted that there could be no charges for such things as required licenses, permits and many services.

  They also insisted that there be a simpler, quicker, cheaper and for effective means of filling elective offices. Every elected office must meet minimum requirements to assure only those best qualified individuals can run for
office. Every appointed office would likewise have minimum requirements. The Pentagon has yet to endorse the proposed new Constitution and Amendments.

  Baker and his staff see the requirements as staggering, and probably impossible to meet. As he contemplates, eyes closed, he had that old feeling that someone was reading his thoughts.

  “Greetings, President Baker,” a clear voice snaps his eyes open. Before him stands the familiar figure of a peace keeper, the number ‘99' in black on its chest.

  He sits upright, bounding to his feet. He glances at the door; it’s closed. Other than the android, the room is still empty. As he wonders if he might have fallen asleep and was dreaming, the ‘droid again speaks, “You are not dreaming.”

  “99?” Baker manages.

  In answer, “It is not impossible.”

  “What?” Baker stammers. “What’s not impossible?”

  “What your warriors are demanding in order to give your country back to you.” Then it adds, “Have you forgotten we can read your thoughts?”

  “You’re the same 99 that was here before?”

  “At your service.”

  “Oh, crap,” Baker utters softly. “You guys are back?”

  “Just a few. The ones who helped Earth’s leaders before. We come with a message; we cannot stay.”

  Baker holds up a hand. “Wait a minute. I don’t want security coming in and starting another shooting. If it’s OK with you, I’ll have my assistant notify those of my Cabinet, those that are in the building, to respond.”

  “As you wish.” While Baker is on the phone, 99 stands silent.

  Security is the first to enter, doing so cautiously but without weapons in hand. As others arrive, Baker waves them over to the sitting area. When the six he expected are present, he orders the guards out, then joins his men.

  When all are settled, 99 moves to face them. “The Universal Council sends their greetings.” It pauses for a moment, then continues. “I know we had told you that we would leave you in peace, to direct your own fate.”.